


fly in fly out

by halfeatenmoon



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Nebula vs feelings, Touch-Starved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-06 08:35:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20288545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halfeatenmoon/pseuds/halfeatenmoon
Summary: After a while, Gamora could almost set a calendar by the times Nebula's path crosses hers.





	fly in fly out

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pleurer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pleurer/gifts).

Gamora sensed Nebula's presence in the bar before she even saw her. It wasn't as though she had any extrasensory powers; just years and years of familiarity that recognised something, perhaps the frequency of her voice even when Gamora couldn't consciously hear her above the din. She felt her body tense, ready for combat, and at the same time a deep longing to just walk up and hug her. Somewhere in between these warring impulses, she found the calm to simply sit down at the stool beside her and stare straight ahead, ordering a drink.

"Are we going to talk?" Nebula asked, not looking at her, either.

"Do you want to?"

"It's usually unavoidable when you're around, that's all."

Gamora waited as long as she could before she said, "I've been looking for you."

"I'm touched," Nebula drawled. "But don't think you've found me."

"Oh, are you a clone? A droid? A very convincing hologram?" Gamora let herself reach out, just to pinch Nebula's arm. A moment of warm skin, and then Nebula flinched away.

"I found _you_," Nebula hissed.

"Oh, and why is that?"

She made a frustrated noise. "Look. This smuggling ring you're trying to uncover. Your fuzzy friend is playing both sides and trying to sell to them."

Gamora groaned. "You mean Rocket's undermining us? I should have known. That _asshole_."

"You think _that's_ the biggest problem you have? The mob are going to have you all killed if this goes for much longer."

Gamora finally allowed herself to smile. "Are you here to try to protect me?"

Nebula scoffed. "You don't need protecting, at least not by _me_. You've made that abundantly clear all our lives."

"So then why..."

Nebula set down her drink, still half-full, and stood up to leave. "Just stop looking for me. If I want to talk to you, I will."

Gamora watched her stalk out, spooking a few other bar patrons on her way. Then she finally let out a sigh and put a hand to her face. It was a start, she told herself. Hopefully it was a start. Hopefully there would be a next time.

There were a _lot_ of next times.

Not too often, but very regular. Gamora completely ignored Nebula's instructions and asked after her at every port they went to, and yet she only came across her roughly every four months. Sometimes it was just their ships pinging each other as they took the same jump; sometimes Gamora was planetside and came across Nebula in a fistfight in the street. And one time, Nebula came on board their ship and sulked around in corners for an entire two days without explanation. She finally waited until Gamora was up watching their flight path while everyone else was asleep before she asked whether Gamora knew where Thanos went to relax.

Gamora smiled, then hurriedly tried to hide it. "I'm surprised you'd come to me for information."

"The feeling's mutual."

"Is it? Because it seems about time you visited again."

Nebula stiffened. "I hope you're not implying that I want to see you."

"Of course not," Gamora said, deadpan. "It's pure coincidence that you wait the same interval of time before popping up to say hello again."

"All I care about," she snarled, slowly, "Is killing Thanos. There is nothing else I concern myself with. _Nothing_."

"I could help with that, you know," Gamora said, carefully.

"I don't need your help."

"I know, I know. But I hate him too."

Nebula clenched her hands together, and ground her teeth. "I suppose it would be... satisfying. To kill him together," she said, at last.

"Was that so hard to say?"

"It's not just about not wanting help, you know. Maybe I like that we're doing different things. Maybe I like seeking revenge while you're off doing whatever it is you do for hire."

"Why? Aside from being a stubborn ass who wants to be contrary to me."

"I'm trying something new," she said, gruffly. "Where I don't try to be better than you, and I just try to do my own thing."

Gamora sucked in a deep breath. Right now she wanted to touch Nebula more than she'd wanted anything else in the last _year_, but she was already dreading the sting of Nebula pulling away. But Nebula's confession had broken down Gamora's defenses in a way that nothing else had before. She reached out and put an arm around Nebula's shoulder, and felt a heady thrill when Nebula stayed there. She didn't move a muscle, didn't move towards Gamora, either. But she also didn't so much as flinch.

"I'd like to try something new too. Where I can try being a good sister."

"Ugh," Nebula said, and turned away. But she stayed there for a good long while with Gamora's arm around her, and eventually, instead of walking away, she leaned back to rest her head on Gamora's instead.


End file.
